“They made us all look like fools”

Former Liverpool midfielder Steve McManaman has reacted to France’s elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup following their 2-0 loss to Spain in the semifinals. The pundit admitted that Luis de la Fuente’s men made many look like fools with their exhilarating triumph at the Dallas Stadium on Tuesday (July 14).

Spain experienced a slow start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, failing to beat Cape Verde in their opening fixture. Although La Roja gradually improved their performances after that game, many felt France were the overwhelming favourites heading into the semifinals due to their star-studded attack.

However, Luis de la Fuente’s side produced a commanding display to earn a 2-0 win, ending Didier Deschamps’ hopes of leading his side to a third consecutive FIFA World Cup final. Speaking on ESPN FC after the match, McManaman praised Spain’s performance, saying:

“Spain dominated the game, they made France go… A couple of efforts in the end of the game but in general, Spain were excellent.”

The former Liverpool winger added that he expected France’s star-studded attack to expose the opposition defence but was left surprised by how comfortably La Roja controlled the contest.

“And to nullify France, who have been scoring two and threes and fours every single game, you thought they’d just come today and exploit the Cubarsis, the Laportes – who was playing in Saudi Arabia – but they made us all look like fools.”

“Of course, everybody thought France would get into the final and Spain were incredibly dominant today,” the Englishman concluded.

Following that result, the Blues now have the third place left to fight for at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They will face the loser in the clash between Argentina and England on Saturday, July 18.

Didier Deschamps set to bow out as France boss after 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign

The third-place game on Saturday will mark the end of Didier Deschamps‘ reign as head coach of the French national team. The 57-year-old had already confirmed earlier this year that he would step down after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, bringing the curtain down on a successful spell that began in 2012.

During his 14-year tenure, the manager guided the team to the 2018 FIFA World Cup title, the 2022 World Cup final, the 2016 UEFA European Championship final and the 2021 UEFA Nations League crown. He leaves as one of the most successful managers in the Blues’ history, having overseen one of the country’s most consistent eras on the international stage.

According to Fabrizio Romano, former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane is in line to take charge of the national team. It remains to be seen how things will pan out when the tournament finally concludes in the coming days.